EasyBet Become Latest Site to Join UK Gambling Market

The UK gambling industry is an ever-expanding one. It is a gambling market that is very attractive to overseas companies eager to expand their business. The latest addition is easyBet.net who are part of the easyGroup. 

They have partnered with Matchbook who are a betting exchange that are already well established in the UK. The easyBet.net site is up and running now and offers its customers a wide range of sports betting opportunities and bonus bets for new customers. 

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou spearheads the easyGroup and speaking about the launch says the site will “complement our other large consumer brands in the UK and Ireland.” They include everything from airlines to retail services.

The CEO of Matchbook is Malcolm Graham and his belief is that easyBet.net “offers its customers industry-leading odds across a wide range of sports and geographic markets.”

Earlier this year, Digitain was granted a licence by the UK Gambling Commission to operate an online casino on these shores. They have already had success in other parts of Europe. Speaking about their UK launch, they said that the company aims to “deliver tailored gaming experiences that cater to local needs and preferences.” 
Three trading names were included in their licence, one being Galaxsys. Games such as ‘Cash Show’ and ‘Rocketon’ are now available at UK sites such as Dafabet and 888 Casino.

Betano has also launched in the UK this year. They are one of the top gaming brands for Kaizen Gaming and have been busy in 2024 establishing themselves in the UK. Not only do they now have a successful online casino but they are also the principal gambling sponsors of English Premier League side Aston Villa.

That has been an important move for Betano because it helps spread awareness of their product. The UK gambling industry is a highly competitive one and for companies who enter it, there’s a battle to win a solid market share. 

Signing a major sponsorship deal with a top Premier League club is a major way forward. Even better is the fact that Villa are also playing in this season’s Champions League.

That’s just one way in which companies can boost their chances of being a success in the UK. It’s a real battle to be able to not just attract new customers but also to then retain them. A prime but also controversial method is the offering of bonuses.
Those who decide they want to register with a UK online gambling site can receive a welcome offer. At easyBet.net for example, there is a welcome offer that can see new players receive a £20 free bet. Those who wish to join the Betano online casino can receive one of two welcome offers that see a slots or Live Casino bonus received.

Welcome offers are a one-off experience though, so it is important for UK online casinos to continually offer their players other bonuses. When a new slot game is introduced, it is common for the site to give their customers a special offer. This could be a number of free spins on the game. This keeps their players content and also promotes the new slot game. Free entry into slots tournaments can also be offered to players.

Live casinos are another key area of online gambling sites. They offer players an experience that is close to that they’d have if playing at a land-based casino. Games are set in a studio that resembles a casino and have live dealers. Eager to see players visiting them as often as possible, sites make a number of special offers to their customers.

There are also loyalty programs that see points awarded to players dependent on how much money they wager at the site. These are one of the most controversial bonuses that are offered by online sites.

Anti-gambling campaigners feel that they simply offer incentives to players to gamble as much as possible on a site. Those players who may be suffering gambling harm may want to quit and receive help but see such offers and continue to play.

There is due to be stricter regulation of the UK gambling industry. Just what is planned has yet to be announced by the Labour government. A Conservative government White Paper on gambling reform published last year indicated stricter regulation of the online casino industry.

Just how this will affect the industry and those who have recently begun trading in the UK will be interesting. Rumoured tax increases didn’t take place in the recent budget but stricter affordability checks and a clamp down on bonuses offered may well be on the horizon in 2025.